Sludge remover



July 17, 1934.

L. F. WILSON 1,966,777

SLUDGE REMOVER Filed May 13, 1951 Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLUDGE REMOVER Lyndon F. Wilson, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 13, 1931, Serial No. 537,185

\ 1 Claim. (Cl. 122-382) This invention pertains to sludge removers and particularly to those so constructed that they may be operated with safety regardless of where the locomotive may be located at the time of 5 operation.

In my prior application Serial No. 528,999 filed April 10,- 1931 the blow-01f cock was located near the bottom of the boiler from which the blow-offproducts from the boiler were conducted to the separator on top of the boiler through an outside pipe. In extremely cold weather the water in this exposed pipe is liable to become frozen.

Also the pipe being subject to the high boiler pressure whenthe blow-off cock is open must of necessity be heavy and strong.

My present invention contemplates the delivery of the blow-off products from the lower portion of the boiler to the separator on top of the boiler through a pipe located within the boiler where it is not subject to outside temperatures and being exposed outside as well as inside to boiler pressures may be of light and consequently inexpensive construction.

One of the purposes of this invention, therefore, is to reduce the expense of installation and to render the operation of the apparatus certain irrespective of temperature conditions by locating the blow-off cock on top of the boiler in proximity to the separator and locating the pipe which delivers the blow-elf products to this cock inside the boiler.

Other objects and advantages of the invention should become apparent from a perusal of this specification.

equipped with sludge removing apparatus in accordance with this invention.

The locomotive boiler is generally indicated by the number 1. It is provided with sludge collecting pipes 2 and 3, the former extending longitudinally of the barrel of the boiler and having a plurality of apertures 4 on its underside for receiving the sludge which may accumulate thereunder and adjacent thereto. The pipe 3 extends across the boiler perpendicular to the length ofthe boiler and is provided with sludge collecting apertures, not shown, but which are similar to the perforations 4. The pipe '3 is connected by means of a pipe 5 with a riser 6, which is also connected to the pipe 2 and which extends upwardly through the interior of the boiler to the top thereof where it is connected to a blow ofl valve generally indicated as '7. This valve may be mechanically operated, but is preferably an air operated valve of the character disclosed in In the drawing, the figure shows a locomotive the United States Letters Patent No. 1,769,006, issued to Lyndon F. Wilson and John T. McGrath.

In this instance a lever 8 is positioned in the locomotive cab for operating an air controlling valve generally indicated as 9, the construction 30 of which is not a part of this invention but which is preferably that shown in the above mentioned patent. Pipes l1 and 12 connect the air valve 9 with the blow-off valve 7 for, controlling the operation of the latter.

A pipe 13 provided with an emergency shut-01f valve 14 connects the blow-on valve with a separating device 15 which, by centrifugal action, is constructed to cause the separation of steam from the sludge and water, permitting the steam to escape toward the central portion of the device, thence outwardly through a discharge port 16, while the heavier sludge and water are discharged through a pipe 17 downwardly, either into the ash pan or to the ground. As shown in the drawing, 76 the lower end of the pipe 17 is sealed at its lower end 18 but provided with peripheral perforations 19 through which the water and sludge may escape and strike against the interior of the cone 21 and thence in a dispersed condition flow 80 downwardly through the open bottom of the cone against the ground.

The steam port 16' is large in cross section and therefore quickly relieves the steam pressure from the separating device, discharging the steam upwardly into the atmosphere harmlessly, and as the water and sludge is thus relieved of pressure it is discharged from the bottom of the baflling cone 21 with very little force against the roadbed and can therefore do no harm to the track ballast.

Another blow-off valve generally indicated as 22 is preferably provided and positioned as shown. This valve may be of the type commonly em ployed heretofore for such locations and will preferably be provided with a hand lever 23 by means of which it may be opened and closed when this valve is used in terminals for the usual blow-ofi, wash-out and refilling operations. The construction of this valve is not of importance to this invention and needs no further description.

It will now be understood that the sludge removing device above described can be safely operated even in passenger stations and, of course, at any place on the railroad system, making it possible forthe engine crew to blow-ofl their locomotives equipped with this invention whenever such blowing off is required.

While the drawing shows only one longitudinal sludge collecting pipe and one transverse sludge collecting pipe, it is contemplated that a plurality of these pipes may be employed if desired. If the riser 6 were outside of the boiler instead of inside, water standing therein might become frozen during severe weather. Also if pipe 6 were disposed outside, being under the boiler pressure, it would have to be strongly constructed and would even then be a source of danger. The riser inside or the boiler, however, will normally have equalized pressures upon its exterior and' interior, and of course can never freeze. Furthermore, while the clearance along the railroads right of way remain fixed, the locomotives themselves are built larger so that it is important to avoid as far as possible the addition of further structures on the exterior of the boiler shell, not only because of the danger of using up all of the available clearance, but also because such superposed structures along the side of the boiler tend to reduce the vision of the engine crew. The drain pipe for this sludge separator, however, not being under pressure, can be a somewhat flattened pipe with thin walls, occupying but small space, or can even be a channel built into the shell of the boiler.

It should be understood that this invention comprehends variations in construction which may differ from the herein disclosed embodiment, but all of which will, nevertheless, remain within the spirit and scope of this invention as is defined in the claim which follows.

Having shown and described my invention, I claim:

In combination with a locomotive boiler, sludge collecting pipes located within the lower portion of the boiler, a blow-off valve located on top of the boiler and connected with said pipes, a centrifugal steam separator connected with said valve and carried by the upper portion of the boiler having a steam outlet open to the atmosphere directly above the boiler and provided with a sludge outlet, means connected with the last said outlet for conducting and discharging sludge below the boiler without injury to roadbed or roadside, and means controllable from a position in the locomotive cab for operating said valve.

LYNDON F. WILSON. 

